Anchor
by bangmerick
Summary: Evelyn took it upon himself to take care of Derek, to patch him up whenever he came home bruised and bloody. For three years, they were all each other counted on. …And then he disappeared, back to his home town of Beacon Hills. He promised to call for her, to let her know when it was safe for her to follow him there. That was almost a year ago. And she was done waiting.
1. prologue

A/N: I'm pretending Derek is still an alpha for the purpose of this story - I started writing it before I started watching season 3 and it's not going to follow the storyline of the TV series at all.

* * *

**_prologue._**

_"Where is she?"_

_"Wha-" Stiles looked at the caller ID on his phone, frowning in confusion before he pressed it back against his ear. "Dad?"_

_"Stiles, **where is she**?"_

_"Where's **who**?" Stiles asked, catching Scott's inquisitive stare and shrugging his shoulders at him._

_"Evelyn, Stiles! Where's Evelyn?"_

_"I… don't know?" he paused. "She went- she was out with Derek, I-"_

_"I swear to God if you're lying to me-"_

_"Dad, I'm not, I don't know where she is!" Stiles interrupted his father. "What's going on?"_

_"She was… There was a car accident. As far as I can tell, she was alone in the car but- I'm at the hospital, Stiles, she's gone. She was here, she was unconscious, she needed to go into surgery and now she's vanished."_

_"She-" he stopped, stumbling forward as he grabbed the keys to his jeep. "I'll go and look for her, Scott's with me. We'll find her."_

_"Stiles, if Derek has her-"_

_"If Derek has her, I'll make sure he takes her to hospital," he mumbled, hanging ending the call and shoving his phone in his pocket as he turned to Scott. "It's Evie, she's been in a car accident, she's disappeared from the hospital. We have to find her. If she was with Derek… He can't just take her from the hospital, right? Dad said she was unconscious. Isn't that like kidnapping?"_

_"We'll find her, Stiles, come on," Scott didn't waste a second, he was halfway down the stairs before Stiles had even left his room. After all the times stiles had helped him since he'd been bitten, he at least owed him this. He knew how much his friend cared about the older girl._

_He also knew how much Derek cared about her, and he knew that – no matter how stubborn he was in thinking he could protect her from everything - he'd never take her from hospital when she needed help. Something else was going on, he was sure of it._

_Stiles jogged down the stairs after him and turned to look at him, his hand on the door knob._

_"Call Allison, maybe she knows what's happened," Stiles demanded, turning the door knob and jumping backwards when he saw Evelyn stood in front of him, her shirt torn and bloody. Her hair was matted, she was clutching her side and wincing in pain and he barely had a second to take it in before she collapsed into his arms. "Woah, I- Evie, what happened?" he asked quickly. "We need to get you back to the hospital, we-"_

_"N-no," she stuttered, her breathing shallow as she shook her head. "No hospitals."_

_"Scott, help me get her to the couch," Stiles whispered. Scott nodded, rushing forward and putting one of Evelyn's arms around his neck as they helped her into the living room, placing her gently down on to the sofa. Scott moved, pulling her legs up so she was lying down and taking a step backwards as he watched his two friends – one he'd known his whole life, one he'd known just a couple of months, but both of them equally as important to him. "Evie, we need to get you to a doctor."_

_"Derek," she whispered. Stiles sighed, rubbing his forehead and looking up at Scott._

_"Y-you want us to take you to Derek?" he asked._

_"N-no! No," she grabbed hold of Stiles' t-shirt, pulling him closer and burying her head into his shoulder. "K-keep him away from… me," she winced._

_"What-" Stiles paused, gesturing for Scott to come forward. "Check her over," he whispered. "Maybe you can help her, if she's hurting," he suggested._

_"Sure," Scott nodded his head, crouching down on the sofa and lifting her t-shirt up, causing a groan of pain to come from her lips. "Sorry, Ev," he apologised. He paused, watching the way Stiles was brushing the hair out of her eyes, the way his arm was wrapped around her and the way his t-shirt was bunched up into her fist. He felt a smile tugging at his lips and he almost felt like he was intruding on a private moment between the two of them, so he averted his gaze back to what he'd been doing and lifting her t-shirt up a bit more, freezing when he saw the all too familiar mark on her side. "Stiles," Scott whispered. Stiles glanced over at him, his eyes following where Scott was pointing and he felt his breath catch in his throat, his heart skipping a beat as he saw the wound._

_"Is that- has- she…"_

_"Yeah," Scott whispered, avoiding Stiles' painful gaze. "She's been bitten."_


	2. one

With a sigh, Evelyn let her backpack fall onto the ground from her shoulders as she tried to make sense of the map in front of her.

…Maybe hauling her ass all the way to some God forsaken little town in California for some guy who'd clearly forgotten she existed had been a bad idea. But, it was an idea that she's gone through with, and now she was stuck.

The cab ride from the airport had completely cleaned out her purse and she knew she was still a good way off from finding her way into the centre of town – and even then, she still had to try and track down Derek. She was _exhausted. _

This would have been so much easier if Derek would have kept his promise to stay in touch with her and let her know he was okay. So much for caring about her, so much for the _feelings _that had started to develop between them before he left New York, the feelings that she knew had lingered on both sides even after 10 months apart.

Then again, it probably would have been easier if she'd kept her own promise to not come to Beacon Hills until Derek told her it was safe. If she'd stuck to that, then she'd be at home right now, hidden away in her bedroom with a good book and a huge cup of coffee while her family continued to ignore her existence. But no, she just _had _to let her worry and her curiosity get the better of her and, after purchasing a one-way plane ticket with what little savings she had, she'd walked out of the house she shared with the people she could barely call parents without looking back, all to numb her ass in a plane seat for five hours to look for a man she wasn't even sure wanted to see her anymore.

But she didn't care.

In the three years she'd known him, Derek Hale had been more to her than her family ever had, or ever would. He'd been the one constant in her life, despite the craziness that surrounded him and his sister.

She'd not long turned 17 when she met him and, at 22 years of age, he was the mysterious older guy that instantly piqued her interest. There'd been something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on, something… _different_. Whether it was good different or bad different, she hadn't known. But she'd wanted to know, and that's all that had mattered.

He was honestly one of the rudest people she'd ever encountered but for some reason, she knew his inability to speak in words instead of annoyed grunts was a defence mechanism he used to push people away, to keep them out of his life.

Anyone who knew Evelyn Woods could have told him that that wasn't going to work – it only made her more determined.

He hadn't even wanted to get involved with her, she was 17, she was a kid. But he'd felt himself drawn to her and, despite Laura's warnings that he could get her killed, he'd opened up a little.

He hadn't wanted to, but he'd known she wasn't like the others… wasn't like Kate. He'd known that from the second he saw her sat in an ice cream parlour, her nose practically pressing against her iPad and a half-eaten apple in her hand as she stared at the screen intently. He was such a creeper, sitting across the street in his car and checking out high school kids. He kept seeing her around, unable to stop himself from stopping to stare and sometimes even following her for a few blocks.

She was oblivious to everything around her. She always had her earphones shoved in, the music playing loud enough for Derek to hear even without his wolf abilities. He'd frown to himself a lot, wishing he knew why he found her so adorable, so _endearing_, the way she swung her hips as she practically danced down the street, her lips forming the words to whichever song she was listening to and her brown hair swished behind her.

He hadn't even meant to speak to her, but he'd been following her back from school one day and she'd turned round abruptly, yelping as she'd bumped into him. The groan she let out as she hit the floor had made him twitch, and he'd reached a hand out to help her up, muttering his apologies to her.

He'd been about to turn and walk away from her, when she'd wrapped her small fingers around his wrist and told him he owed her another coffee as he looked at liquid spilled on the sidewalk and on her jumper.

He'd been about to scoff and tell her to get lost, but instead he'd found himself nodding dumbly at her, the overwhelming urge to please the girl in front of him taking him by surprise. She'd smiled happily and pulled him across the street and into a small, relatively empty coffee shop. She'd ordered something he'd never be able to remember if he tried – to many half-fats this, too many pumps of something and hold the foams of that. She'd told the woman serving her that she was staying there to drink it and that Derek would be paying for her before she looked at him expectantly. He'd handed the money over and ordered a plain, boring black coffee for himself.

_"I said you owed me a coffee, I didn't say you had to stay with me," she raised an eyebrow at him as they waited for their drinks. Derek shrugged his shoulders, staying quiet and Evelyn cocked her head to the side as she studied him. She'd seen him around a few times in the previous weeks, she was pretty sure she'd caught him staring at her on more than one occasion. "Have you been following me?"_

"No," he snapped at her. Evelyn pursed her lips and nodded her head slowly, smiling as her drink was handed to her and walking towards a booth in the corner of the coffee shop, sinking in to the worn out sofa. Derek watched her uncertainly, his own drink in his hand as he debated whether to sit with her not. She waved him over and he sighed, his feet moving towards her of their own accord as he sat down to her.

"I'm Evelyn, Evelyn Woods."

"Derek."

"You got a last name, Derek?" she asked, looking at him over her cup as she sipped at her latte. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he stayed silent. "…Mysterious. I can handle that. Just Derek it is, then. I've seen you around a lot these last few weeks."

Silence.

"Do you work around here?" she tried again, but Derek kept his eyes on the opposite wall. "Have you just moved around here?"

Nothing.

"How old are you?" she asked, once again getting nothing in return. She frowned, her cheeks turning pink slightly as she sighed and stood up, her coffee not even half finished as she left it on the table. "I guess I'll get going, then. I'd like to say it was nice meeting you, but I'm not sure it was," she mumbled, pulling her bag over her shoulder and pushing past him. She was almost at the door when she heard him.

"Hale, no, I've lived here for a while, 22."

"Well," she bit her lip an grinned before turning back to him. "It's nice to meet you."

Evelyn sighed at the memory.

She wasn't stupid, she was almost certain he'd been following her that day and the day before, as well, but she'd said nothing more about it. They'd drank their coffee and chatted for a while – well, Evelyn had chatted, Derek had mostly listened and given her one word answers to any questions she'd asked.

She was pretty sure she'd never see him again, but he'd been outside of her school at the end of the week, his arms crossed over his chest as he leant against a black car. She'd frozen halfway down the steps leading away from the school, her friends turning to frown at her in confusion when they'd realised she wasn't walking with them. They'd followed her gaze to Derek and she'd almost felt proud when she heard the collective gasps that came from them. He'd beckoned her over and her friends had turned to question her, but she pushed past them and hurried down the rest of the steps and over to Derek.

She'd asked what he was doing and as usual, he'd ignored her question and instead opened the door of his car, telling her to get inside. She'd rolled her eyes but did as he said, smirking as she caught the looks of shock on her friends faces.

It was only after Derek had climbed inside and pulled out of the school car park that she'd realised how careless she was being. She knew nothing about him and she's _willingly _gotten into his car with no idea where he was going to take her or what he was going to do.

_She could feel her heart thumping nervously in her chest as she chewed on her bottom lip, and she saw Derek smirking out of the corner of her eye._

"I'm not going to hurt you, you can stop worrying," he told her.

"I'm not worried," _ she frowned. Derek raised his eyebrows in amusement and turned to look at her. "Eyes on the road, please, Derek," she gestured forward._

"Are you scared?"

"Of you? No. Of you not watching the road and me dying in a horrible car accident because of your careless driving? Yes."

"Are you always this dramatic?"

"Are you always this weird?" she pulled a face at him. "How did you even know where I went to school?"

"Lucky guess," he shrugged his shoulders at her. Evelyn paused, studying his profile for a few minutes before leaning back in her seat.

"Where are we going? Why did you even come pick me up?"

"Because I wanted to see you again."

"O-oh," she stuttered, not expecting just a simple, honest answer from him. "Well… where are we going?"

"Do you trust me, Evelyn?"

"Not in the slightest," she shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest as Derek chuckled quietly. She was lying. She couldn't quite explain why, but she knew she trusted him. She knew he wouldn't hurt her. She turned her head quickly when she saw him leaning over and she gripped the edge of her seat as his cheek touched hers.

"Liar," he muttered.

"Derek the _**road**__," she grunted, pushing him away from her with a huff, her cheeks flaming. "Really, where are you taking me?" she asked him. He shrugged his shoulders, turning his attention back to the road as she sighed and pulled her ringing phone out of her bag, opening her messages folder and snorting out a laugh. "My friends want to know who you are."_

"Then tell them."

"I don't _**know **__who you are," Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Sure, I know you're name and how old you are, but that's it. Why did I even get in a car with you, I'm so stupid," she mumbled to herself._

"Yeah, that was a pretty dumb move on your part," Derek agreed with her.

"…You're not going to kill me or anything, are you?"

"Would you be able to fight me off if I tried?"

"Probably not," Evelyn frowned, her eyes lingering on the muscles beneath his t-shirt. "_**Definitely **__not."_

"I can teach you, if you like. How to defend yourself against attackers."

"Did you really pick me up to teach me self-defence skills, Derek? Are you serious?"

"Well, I picked you up because I thought maybe we could grab some dinner, but if you want me to teach you self-defence, then I will."

"I- oh," Evelyn whispered, looking away from him. "Dinner like a- as in a-"

"No," Derek interrupted. "Not a date. Other than my sister, you're the only person I know here. I thought it would be nice to do something, _**as friends**__."_

"O-okay," she nodded her head at him. "In that case, dinner sounds great."

She'd tried not to let her disappointment show, but Derek had noticed the way her face fell slightly when he said they'd be going just as friends.

He shouldn't have even been friends with her, he had no right getting her involved in his life, in his world. He was 22 years old, he should have been able to control himself better… but he couldn't help himself. He didn't know why he needed to be around her, but he did. He couldn't explain it to anyone – hell, he'd tried to explain it to Laura, but he couldn't. He couldn't understand why he was ignoring his sister's orders to stay away from this girl, he just knew he couldn't do it.

Evelyn rubbed the back of her neck, wincing at the weight of the bag on her shoulders. She wanted to cry when she thought of how far she possibly had left to walk.

She didn't even know why she was bothering. Derek hadn't returned any of her calls in four months and any normal girl would bitch about him to her friends, go out, get drunk and forget about it. Any normal girl would move on.

But Evelyn wasn't normal, because Evelyn knew everything about Derek. She knew what he was, she knew why he'd come back to Beacon Hills and she knew he wouldn't just cut off contact with her unless he had a reason. She was worried about him, she was scared something had happened to him and it made her feel sick that she hadn't been there if he'd needed her.

She'd lost count of the amount of times in New York he'd gotten into these mysterious fights and climbed in through her bedroom window, letting her take care of him even though he knew he didn't need her to. It was nice having someone take care of him, and it made her feel useful.

She hadn't known back then that he didn't need her help, that he could heal perfectly fine himself. She hadn't known what he was, but she'd known he wasn't like other guys. She'd always known there was something different about him. Sure, he had his secrets like everyone else did, but there was something… _off _about him. He knew too much about her, he knew when she was lying, when she was worried, when she was nervous. They'd only known each other for six months the first time he climbed through her window. She hadn't even thought to question how in the hell he managed to climb up the side of her house or why he didn't just use the door like anyone else – it's not like anyone would care. Her parents paid no attention to her, they were too engrossed in their work to remember they had kids. Her older brother was always too drunk or too high to notice what was going on under his nose.

He knew how her family ignored her existence and he knew she hated it. He knew she just wanted to be able to rely on someone, and that's why he was there for her, even when she didn't realise he was.

He'd started climbing into her room on a regular basis, give or take a few nights when he was otherwise occupied. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but he needed her as much – if not more – as she needed him. He wasn't quite sure how it had happened, how she'd already become the one thing that kept him human. But she was it, for him. There was nothing anyone could do about it.

Laura had warned him how dangerous it was, that he was putting Evelyn in danger just by being around her and that he'd never forgive himself if he lashed out and hurt her.

She was right, of course. Laura was always right and, after three months of climbing into her house and sleeping in her room, he'd realised just how _right _she was.

_Derek swung his legs through the window and frowned at the darkness of the room – she knew he was coming, it wasn't even 8 o'clock yet, there's no way she was asleep already._

"Evelyn?" he whispered.

"You should go," she whispered back immediately. "I-I'm sick."

Her heart rate picked up and he paused. Why was she lying to him? Her voice was thick and she'd obviously been crying, he didn't need any kind of super heightened senses to tell him that.

His own heart picked up speed in worry and he sat on the edge of her bed, reaching out for her and sighed when she shuffled away from him.

"Derek-"

"You're lying to me," he muttered. "You're not sick. What's going on? Why is it so- I'm turning a light on, okay?"

"No, don't!" she hissed, but he'd already reached over and turned her bedside lamp on. He turned back to her and she had her face buried in her pillow, an oversized black jumper swamping her figure and the pink fuzzy socks he liked to tease her about covering her feet.

"Evelyn," Derek placed his hand on her arm, but she jerked away from him. "Evie," he tried again, but she shook her head and buried her face further into her pillows with a whimper. "Is it… that time of the month or something?"

"You did _**not **__just ask me that!" she grumbled, her voice muffled._

"Well I can't think of any other reason for why you'd act like this," he crawled over her and crouched down at the side of her bed, trying not to notice how her jumper had ridden up. "Evelyn, look at me."

"You have to promise you won't get mad," she whispered. Derek frowned, pushing her hair out of the way and taking hold of her chin as he turned her head to look at him. His breath caught in his throat when his eyes landed on the purple bruise that was forming on her cheek and he clenched his teeth.

"Someone hit you? Who hit you?"

"It was an accident-"

"Someone hits you like that, it's not an accident," Derek interrupted, standing up and running his hands through his hair. Evelyn sat up, pulling her jumper further down her legs and wincing. Derek froze, stopping his pacing as he caught her grimace. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I just have- it was nothing, really, it's just a couple bruises and-"

"Show me," he demanded. Evelyn's mouth snapped shut and she stared up at him, her cheeks pink. "Evelyn."

"I can't show you unless I basically get naked and I'm not about to do that in front of you," she shook her head. "Can you imagine if my parents walked in and caught me in my underwear with you in my room?"

"They wouldn't care."

"Ouch," she mumbled. "Thanks a lot for that, D. Like I needed to a reminder that my parents don't give a shit after what happened this afternoon."

"What happened this afternoon?"

"…I tripped," she sighed. "I tripped and I fell down the stairs."

"Someone pushed you."

"Wh- how did you get that from 'I tripped'?"

"Because I know you, and I know when you're lying to me," he narrowed his eyes. "You didn't trip. Someone did this to you. Do you need to go to hospital?" he asked, and she shook her head. "…You got anything on under that thing?" he gestured to her jumper.

"Shorts," she shrugged her shoulders, looking at him suspiciously. "…Why?" she asked. Derek grabbed her ankles and pulled her further down the bed, making her shriek and clamp a hand over her mouth. "Derek!" she hissed. He ignored her as he knelt on the bed by her feet, his hands sneaking under her jumper and pushing it up, his jaw clenching when he saw the light bruises on her stomach. "I'm okay," she whispered. "I'm fine."

"You're hurt," he whispered, his fingers brushing across her bruises. "Someone hurt you. Who was it?" he looked up at her, but she avoided his gaze.

"Why do you care so much?" she snapped. "Why does it bother you? I mean, we're just friends, right? Why are you getting so mad?"

"Really?" Derek raised an eyebrow. "You're really doing this now? You're bringing this up to try and change the subject so I stop pestering you? It's not going to work, sorry. Tell me who did this to you."

"No, I'm bringing his up because if you're so determined to get answers, then so am I," she pushed him away from her and covered herself back up. "So let's trade. You answer a question I have, I'll answer yours. Sound good?" she cocked her head to the side and Derek opened his mouth to tell her no, but she didn't let him speak. "Great, good. I'll go first. What the hell do you want from me?"

"I don't know what you-"

"Yes you do!" Evelyn sighed heavily, screwing her eyes shut in annoyance. "You just decided one day to turn up at my school and take me for dinner? You taught me how to defend myself? You just decide one night to climb into my room, to sleep in my bed and to keep coming back for _**three months**__? What the fuck is this, Twilight? This isn't some stupid teen novel, Derek, this is __**real life**__. What the hell do you want with me? You're 22 years old, I'm a kid, I'm still in school and you keep coming back. You say we're just friends but you sleep in my bed almost every night, you take care of me, you end up holding me when I'm sleeping. What am I to you? What are we?"_

"I-" Derek leaned back, glaring at her. "I don't know what you want me to say. You're my friend. I keep coming back because I care about you, because other than Laura, I don't have anyone else in this city."

"So I'm just your friend? I'm just some girl you took pity on and you hang around with so you're not alone?" she asked him. "That's real nice, Derek, seriously. I don't need your pity and I sure as hell don't need anyone using me just because they're bored and have nothing else to do."

"If you think arguing with me is going to make me go away then you're wrong," he smirked. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what happened to you."

"Just go away, Derek," she mumbled, rolling on to her side and turning her gaze away from him. "I don't need you here anymore," she told him. Derek sighed and reached out, flipping her over and pinning her wrists to her sides. She glared up at him and he felt the corner of his mouth twitch as he tried his hardest not to grin down at her. She could act pissed all she wanted, but he could hear it. He could hear her heart racing, hear the beat it skipped as he hovered over her.

"I shouldn't be doing this."

"Then go," she spat. Derek shook his head and quickly leaned down, crushing his lips against hers. She froze, unresponsive at first and Derek pulled back slightly as he let go of her wrists, put she grabbed the front of his t-shirt and pulled him back down to meet her lips again. He grinned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist as he rolled them over so she was straddling his waist. She pulled back and stared at him curiously, one of his hands creeping under her jumper and resting on her waist. "If you think you can shut me up by kissing me then you're entirely right."

"Figured as much," he grinned, pulling her back down towards him as his hand moved to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair. "We're still just friends, though."

"Just friends who make out sometimes?"

"Mhmm," Derek mumbled, kissing along her jawline.

"I'm totally okay with that," she whispered as he sat up, his arms circling her waist and his lips travelling down to her neck. She sighed, tugging on the ends of his hair and pulling his lips away from her skin as she stared down at him.

"What?" he asked in confusion. Evelyn bit her bottom lip, tucking her hair behind her ears and crossing her arms over her chest and she blushed.

"Are we just friends who make out, or are just friend who do… other things?" she asked quietly. Derek smiled, his thumb brushing across her bruised cheek.

"Well if you wanna be friends who do 'other things', I'm not going to say no to that," he murmured, nibbling at her collarbone.

"Derek," she tugged on his hair again and he sighed as he looked up at her. "When I said do other things I didn't mean like right now with my family in the house."

"Do you want me to leave?" he frowned.

"No," she smiled softly, shaking her head. "No, I want you to hold me. I'm tired."

"I can do that," Derek nodded his head and Evelyn brushed her lips against his before clambering off him and lying on her side as Derek lay behind her, one arm slung over her waist as he pulled her back against his chest as he pressed light kisses to the back of her neck. He smirked against her skin when he felt her shiver. "I'm going to drive you to school in the morning, and I'll pick you up after, and then you can tell me who hurt you," he whispered and she moaned quietly as she shook her head. "That was the deal, remember? I answered your question, you answer mine."

"Fine," she grumbled. Derek chuckled and buried his face in her hair, making her reach a hand out behind her and slap his side. "Quit it!" she hissed. Derek snickered and pressed one final kiss to her neck, feeling her freeze completely when someone knocked on her bedroom door.

"You in there, Ev? You quit whining yet?"

"Uh, y-yeah," she called back. "Sorry about before, Josh," she whispered. Derek's fist clenched as he felt her heart beating erratically in her chest. He knew it was from fear and from his slurred words, he knew her brother was drunk again.

"Yeah, don't get in my fucking way next time," he growled. "And don't go crying to Mom and Dad, either. You should know by now that they don't give a shit about either of us."

"Okay," she mumbled, turning her face into her pillow.

"It was him?" Derek whispered angrily. "Your brother pushed you down stairs? Evelyn-"

"He didn't push me, he was- I was trying to get past him and he just knocked into me, it's not like he did it on purpose, it- Derek where are you going?!" she hissed as he stood up and walked to her bedroom door. "Derek!"

"I'm going to kill him," he swung her bedroom door open and her brother stumbled, his eyes wide in shock before a smirk crossed his lips.

"You're hiding a guy in your room, Ev, really? Didn't think you had it in you, kid," he shot her a wink and Evelyn grunted, swinging her legs over the side of her bed and yelping as Derek shoved Joshua backwards.

"D, _**stop**__," she whispered. "My parents are downstairs, for crying out loud!"_

"Give me one reason," Derek grunted, grabbing hold of her brother's t-shirt and pulling him towards him. "_**One **__reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."_

"Stop it," Evelyn grabbed Derek's wrist, pulling him away from her brother as she slipped between them and placed her hands on his chest, pushing him backwards gently. "Me, I'm a pretty good reason for why you shouldn't kill him. Calm down. I'm okay. Derek," she sighed, taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "I'm alright. Stop," she smiled softly and Derek huffed, nodding his head slowly before shifting his hard gaze back to her brother.

"If you lay a hand on her again, she won't be able to stop me next time," he snarled. Joshua stayed silent, keeping his eyes on the dark haired man as he walked back into his sister's room.

"Josh I swear to God," Evelyn narrowed her eyes at him. "If you breathe a word about him to _**anyone**__, I'll tell Mom and Dad what you did. I have the damn bruises to prove it," she pointed to her cheek. "And next time, I won't stop him. Got it?"_

"G-got it," he stuttered, nodding once. Evelyn glared at him, before turning on her heel and walking back into her room, closing the door softly behind her. Derek had his back to her, his head leant against the wall and she sighed, taking a step forward towards him.

"Derek-" she stopped when she heard him growl in response. Pausing, she slowly reached a hand out to him and she'd barely touched his shoulder when he spun around, his normally green eyes a shocking bright blue and she yelped, stumbling backwards when her eyes landed on his fang-like teeth. She tripped, backing away from him quickly, her eyes wide in fear as she pressed herself against the opposite wall.

"Evelyn-"

"Derek!" a familiar voice barked and Evelyn's eyes snapped to her open window, Laura stood next to it as she glared her younger brother, her eyes glowing red. "Get out. Now," she ordered. Evelyn's gaze jumped between them, pausing on Derek when she saw his once again green eyes staring back at her and she gulped, looking away from him and staring at the ground. She heard him moving and when she looked up again, he was gone.

"W-what's going on, what- what are you?" she stuttered. Laura ignored her and climbed out of the window, pausing before she looked back at the scared girl.

"You won't be seeing him again," she told her, and Evelyn turned her eyes back to the floor, hearing her window close. She walked over to it slowly and looked outside, but she couldn't see anything. They were gone.

Laura had been somewhat true to her word.

Evelyn hadn't seen Derek again and she'd wondered round in a daze. She hadn't slept, she barely ate, she couldn't concentrate or think about anything other than Derek Hale. She was like a zombie.

Until, on Friday afternoon three weeks after she'd last seen him, she was leaving school, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground when her friend Sara grabbed her arm to make her stop.

_"Don't you know that guy?" she asked curiously. Evelyn looked up, following her pointed finger and gasping quietly when she saw Derek staring at her from the car park. "Ev?"_

"I-I-" she stuttered, the books that she'd been holding slipping through her arms and crashing to the floor, but she didn't care. She pushed Sara away from her, pushed her other friends out of the way and she ran. She ran right to him without a second thought and he caught her as she flung her arms around his neck. "Don't ever do that again, don't you disappear on me like that, Derek," she whispered.

"I won't," he mumbled, his face buried in her neck as he hugged her tightly. "I won't, I promise. I had to stay away for a while, but I couldn't, I- I won't," he let out a breath and spun her round, pressing her against his car and immediately attaching his lips to hers.

"You owe me an explanation," she mumbled, her eyes fluttering closed as he kissed beneath her ear. She held onto him, unable to care about the stares and whispers directed their way.

"You'll get one," he muttered, kissing her again before pulling away completely. Evelyn whined quietly and grabbed hold of his jacket to pull him back to her, but he shook his head. "Not here," he told her, turning his head when he heard someone clear their through behind him. He raised his eyebrows at the blonde girl stood in front of him, but she had her gaze fixed on Evelyn.

"You dropped your books," she sighed, holding them out to her. Evelyn bit her lip, taking the books and hugging them to her chest as her friends eyes drifting to Derek. She pursed her lips and looked up at the older man in distaste. "Are you the reason she's been walking round like the living dead for the past few weeks?" she asked.

"Sara!" Evelyn hissed at her. "Oh my God."

"What?" Sara shrugged her shoulders. "You've looked like death for weeks now, you've been in your own world, you've come in with bruises on you-"

"Bruises?" Derek quickly turned to look at Evelyn, his jaw hard and his teeth clenched. "I'll kill him. I told him not to touch you again, I'm going to rip his throat out, I'll-"

"Derek calm down!" Evelyn groaned, shooting Sara a look as she stared at them in surprise. "Derek isn't the one who's given me the bruises, if that's what you're thinking. It was Josh, he's just a little clumsy and he keeps knocking into me. I'll see you on Monday, Sara."

"What? Monday? I thought you were coming to stay at my place because-"

"Monday, Sara," Evelyn interrupted. Sara sighed and nodded her head, chewing on her lip as she watched her friend climb into the car, Derek walking round to the other side and slamming the door behind him. "We can go to mine, my parents are away this weekend."

"…You're not afraid of me."

"Should I be?" she turned to look at him, but he kept his eyes on the road.

"It would be smart if you were."

"When have I ever done anything smart as far as you're concerned?" Evelyn scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking out of the window as Derek fought back a smile. He didn't answer her, and they drove in silence to her house. He followed her as she climbed out of the car and unlocked her front door, gesturing for him to follow as he realised this was the first time he'd actually used the door.

She dumped her bag in the hallway, her books landing on top of it as she dropped them. She kicked her shoes off and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the living room and over to the sofa.

"Okay. Explain," she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest as she sat down. Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair and frowning. "…Are you a vampire?" she asked in a whisper.

"A vampire?" Derek snorted. "You think I'm a vampire."

"Well I don't know!" she through her hands up. "Your eyes changed colour, your teeth grew, you had _**claws**__!"_

"And your automatic assumption is vampire?" Derek raised his eyebrows. "I'm not a vampire, Evelyn."

"…Then what are you?" she asked in a whisper. "You're not… normal, right? I mean, you're not… human? You're different. You're something else."

"I'm a werewolf," Derek mumbled. Evelyn stayed quiet, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she stared at him. "What you saw, that was- sometimes when I'm angry-"

"Is this a joke? Are you joking with me? Is it some sort of prank?" she asked, and Derek shook his head. He held his hand up and she watched as claws replaced his nails, making her shuffle away from him. "…So it's not a prank. Derek…"

"If you want me to leave, I will," he told her. "You don't ever have to see me again."

"No, no," Evelyn shook her head. "I want you to tell me everything," she reached out, wrapping his fingers round his.

So he did.

He told her about his family, about what happened to them, that he only had his sister left. He told her everything and she listened quietly, only interrupting if she had a question and never once accusing him of lying.

"You're taking this a lot better than most people would," Derek raised an eyebrow at her.

"I should be freaking out and running the opposite direction, shouldn't I?" she smiled weakly. "I-I knew you weren't like other people, Derek. I Just… I didn't know to what extent. Can I ask you something? Can you- I mean, the way you made your nails- claws- whatever, the way you made them grow. How do you do that? How do you turn it on and off?"

"I don't know," he shrugged his shoulders. "It's something you learn to control over time, but it's easier turning it on than it is staying… human, I guess. You need to have something to hold on to, something to keep you human. An anchor."

"Do you mind if I ask what yours is?"

"It used to be my family," he sighed. "The pain of losing them, the anger I felt over their deaths."

"…Used to be? What is it now?" she asked in confusion. Derek looked up at her, his hands clasped in front of him.

"You."

"I-" Evelyn stared at him dumbfounded, her mouth open in shock and a lump lodging itself in her throat as she swallowed back tears. Derek watched her carefully as he tried to work out what she was going to do. "Me?"

"You," he repeated, nodding his head. Evelyn bit her lip as she looked at him, before she grabbed hold of his jacket and yanked him towards her, crushing her lips against his and wrapping her arms around his neck. Derek let out a grunt and pulled her backwards, making her squeal as she landed on top of him and he took the opportunity to attach his lips to her collarbone.

Evelyn sighed, pushing his jacket off his shoulders as his hands crept underneath her t-shirt, his fingers digging into her sides as she giggled. He pulled back, raising an eyebrow at her and she shook her head as she looked down at his and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"I'm making out with a werewolf," she giggled again, her fingers touching her lips and Derek laughed quietly. "Well that's a sentence I never thought I'd say. Wait," she cocked her head to the side and looked at him suspiciously. "Are you really 22? You're not like 450 years old or anything, are you?"

"I'm not 450 years old," he laughed, pulling her closer to him. "I'm 22."

"Wait," she mumbled, her lips millimetres away from his. "Do you realise that right now my friends will be gossiping about how you kissed me in front of everyone? They don't even know about you, not really. I've never been the kind of girl who just kisses random older guys and then gets in the car with them."

"They can gossip all they want," Derek pulled on her t-shirt and brought her mouth back down to his.

"_**Wait**__," she pulled away and he snorted in annoyance, moving one arm behind his head and looking up at her expectantly. "Is it safe to have sex with a werewolf?" she narrowed her eyes and Derek froze, his mouth open as he stared up at her. "Weren't expecting that question, were you?" she smirked, poking at his chest. Derek stayed quiet, a frown replacing the look of shock on his face and Evelyn's smirk fell. "What is it?"_

"Since when do you ask stuff like that?" he raised an eyebrow. "What happened to nice, sweet little Evelyn who always has her head stuck in a book and who blushed every time I told her she looked pretty?"

"Uh, she blushed every time you told her she looked pretty because she's wanted to bang you for a while," she crossed her arms over her chest. "What, just because I can be kinda nerdy means I don't have urges? Have you looked in a mirror lately, Derek?"

"I don't want to hurt you," he grumbled. Evelyn smiled, taking his face in her hands and kissing him. She pulled his bottom lip between her teeth and bit down, tugging slightly before kissing him properly and he growled, his grip on her tightening.

"You won't hurt me," she whispered, her teeth grazing his earlobe. "I trust you."

And he hadn't hurt her, either. She knew he wouldn't, she'd always known he wouldn't. She'd trusted him immediately, from the second she met him.

They stayed _just friends _for a while.

They knew things had changed between them, but neither wanted to be the one to bring it up. Neither of them wanted to admit to deeper feelings, to be the one who brought up the conversation that was bound to follow.

And then, after a year of fooling around and dodging the topic, he told her he had to leave. He told her he loved her, but he had to go home.

Laura had left, to go back to their home town and he couldn't get hold of her. He was worried, so he had to go after her.

He promised her he'd be back, he promised to stay in touch and he'd kept that promise. He'd kept that promise for months, and he'd called her one day to say he was staying in Beacon Hills and she could come and join him, if she wanted, he'd let her know when it was safe and she could stay with him. She'd jumped at the chance, obviously.

…But then the calls stopped. Messages went unanswered, he never returned her calls, he just ignored her.

She hadn't heard anything from him in four months, who's to say he even _wanted _to see her again? But she was worried, and the only way to put her mind at ease was to see him again – even if it was just for him to tell her she was a stupid kid and he didn't need her.

Which she was pretty sure was going to happen.

She didn't care. She owed it to herself, owed it to him to make sure he was okay. After all, the last she'd heard from him, there'd been a pack of alpha's set on destroying him and his pack. She had to make sure they hadn't succeeded.

She paused, stopping at the side of the ride as she heard the familiar sound of an engine. She breathed a sigh of relief - she hadn't seen a car or even another person since she'd gotten out of the taxi and she hoped to God whoever was about to turn the corner was feeling charitable. As soon as she saw the slightly beat-up blue jeep, she waved her arms in the air, hoping they'd stop. She shrieked as they drove through a puddle, the dirty water soaked her as she heard the tyres of the jeep squeal to a stop.

"Are you serious?" she groaned, glaring over towards the jeep. The driver reversed and she them lean across the passenger seat.

"I am so sorry!"

"It's okay," she grunted, looking up and meeting the eyes of a younger boy. "At least you stopped, I guess."

"Are you alright? Have you broken down?"

"Uhm, not really, I was- I'm walking, I'm trying to find a motel but- well, I'm trying to find a person, really," she sighed. "Do you think you could help me, maybe?"

"Sure, it's the least I can do for soaking you. Who are you looking for?" he asked.

"Derek Hale," she replied, smirking when she saw the driver sit up straight and frown at her. "Oh yeah. You know Derek. Any idea where I can find him?"

"No, actually," he muttered. "I know him, though. Get in, I'll take you wherever you want to go."


	3. two

"So, which one are you?"

"What?" Stiles looked to his right, the girl staring at him curiously. "I'm- which one am- what?"

"Which one are you?" she asked again, bringing her feet up onto the seat an resting her chin on her knees. "Like are you going to wolf-out on me? Do I need my pepper spray or something?"

"I- N-no," Stiles shook his head. "No I'm- Stiles. I'm Stiles. Human."

"You're the one who pisses Derek off a lot," she told him with a smirk.

"That's me," he nodded, oddly proud of the fact he had the ability to piss off Derek Hale. "I- how do you know Derek? You're not- have I let a werewolf in my car?" his eyes widened, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than normal.

"Nope, I'm human too," she smiled. "Evelyn. I knew him back in New York, we were- we're friends."

"…Evelyn?" Stiles glanced at her. "Ev- wait, his _girlfriend_? You're his- you're Derek's girlfriend."

"_No_," she rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "We're friends. How can I be his girlfriend when I haven't seen or him in months? How do you- did he talk about me?"

"No," Stiles shrugged his shoulders, immediately feeling guilty when he saw the smile slip from her face. "I-I mean… No. He- Scott overheard him on the phone to you once, he got all defensive when he asked about you. We- well, Scott put two and two together and thought you were his- yeah. So, you're not?"

"…We didn't really have a label," Evelyn shrugged weakly. "So, you know where he is?"

"Nope," Stiles sighed. "I'm going to- Scott can talk to you, he's… He'll tell you about Derek, I guess," he pursed his lips. _Yeah, Scott could tell her he'd vanished, because Scott could hold back the screaming, abandoned, hysterical girlfriend. _Stiles wasn't risking anyone punching him for something Derek had done.

"Scott's the uhm, the kid Peter bit, right? How's he doing?"

"You know about that?" he raised his eyebrows and she nodded her head. "…What else do you know?"

"Not much," she admitted. "Last I heard from him, Peter was dead and Scott was in the middle of a fling with a hunter."

"You haven't spoken to him since then?!"

"Nope…" Evelyn frowned, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I figured he needed space, I mean I know it was hard on him loosing Laura and no matter what, Peter was family, right? The only family he had left. I know how he can get, so I gave him a couple of weeks to deal with stuff before I called. He never called back, though. He's- alive, right? I mean, he's safe?"

"He's alive," Stiles answered. Evelyn nodded slowly, turning her attention back to the window. Stiles glanced at her, taking his time to look her over.

She was younger than Derek, clearly. She looked around his own age, but he knew she was older. Her hair was damp from where his jeep had splashed her and her t-shirt was covered in muddy water, her short sleeves revealing the goosebumps on her arms. She looked sad… tired. He felt bad for her. She'd come all this way for Derek, and he wasn't even around anymore.

"Do you have a jacket of something?" she asked, snapping him out of his trance and rubbing her arms. "I'm kinda cold from, y'know, the water. All my stuff is in my bag," she gestured towards the rucksack Stiles had thrown in the back of his jeep.

"Oh, yeah, sure, I-" he paused, taking one hand off the steering wheel and shaking his arm out of his jacket, before doing the same with the other and handing it over to her.

"Thanks," she smiled, looking at his jacket and then looking down at her t-shirt. "Uhm… I'm- I mean, my shirt is- well, soaked, and- I don't want to put your jacket on if I'm still gonna be cold, you know? Can you just… Not look?"

"Not look? Why what are you- oh! Okay then, yeah, sure, eyes on the road," he nodded, his eyes fixed right ahead as Evelyn peeled her t-shirt over her head and threw it by her bag, before she pulled his jacket on and zipped it up, pulling the too-long sleeves over her hands and snuggling into it. "You good?"

"Yeah, thanks," she smiled over at him. "It's warm. You're warm."

"Uhm, thanks?"

"No problem," she grinned over at him and sighed, pulling her phone out of her pocket and frowning at the screen. "I apologise now, because this is about to get really awkward for you…" she mumbled, before she pressed the phone to her ear and let out a heavy sigh. "Hi, Mom."

"Evelyn? Evelyn Elizabeth Woods! Where on earth _are _you?!"

"California," she replied calmly, chewing on her bottom lip. "I'm safe, don't worry. Just needed to get away for a little while."

"Get away? To _California_? Why California, what could you possibly have to do in California?"

"I don't know, stalking celebrities sounds like fun?" she suggested with a smirk. "I've always wanted to meet Justin Timberlake, maybe I'll try and find him. Who knows? It's California, there's plenty to do. Maybe I can break on to the Glee set and get my big break."

"Evelyn," her mother sighed. "Come home, please."

"No," Evelyn shook her head. "No, I'm not coming back just yet. How long did it take you to notice I was gone, Mom? Did you get my note?"

"I-" she paused. "Your father left for work, we thought you'd gone out. Joshua woke up and found your note in the kitchen, so he called me and I came home. Evelyn- does this have anything to do with that boy you've been seeing?"

"Wh- how do you know about that?" Evelyn asked with a laugh. "Oh my God."

"Joshua told me he'd seen you with a boy a few times," her mother admitted. "He thinks he's dangerous. How long have you been seeing him for? Evelyn, to just walk away from your family and your life for some silly little fling-"

"My _family_?" Evelyn scoffed. "Right, my family. Did Josh tell you _where _he'd seen me with this guy? In my room, Mom. That's right. I've known him for three years, he slept in my room with me – _in my bed – _for months. You didn't even know your 17 year old daughter was regularly boning a guy under you roof because you didn't care. You don't pay any attention to anything other than your work, Dad's the same, and all Josh cares about is getting drunk and getting high with as little cost to him as possible," she grumbled. "So, yeah I guess I have to California for Derek, because while you seemingly forgot I existed, he was there _all the time_. You know whenever you turned a blind eye to Josh's temper, to the bruises that suddenly appeared on me? Who do you think took care of me, huh? _Derek did_. It's so much more than just a fling, Mom, I can't even begin to tell you how oblivious you are," she muttered, screwing her eyes shut and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Y-you had this- this boy in _my house_?"

"Man," she corrected. "I had a _man _in your house. He's older than me, he's 25. And yes, I did. So? I basically just told you that your precious son had a drink and drug problem and used to hit me hard enough to leave bruises, but sure, let's focus on the fact I had a guy sleep over and I didn't tell you about it."

"Evelyn, I'm not arguing with you-"

"Of course you're not," Evelyn interrupted with a scoff. "Because arguing with me would force you to open your eyes and realise you're family isn't perfect. Arguing with me would force you to acknowledge my existence and that's something you've been blissfully ignorant to since I was thirteen years old and which, ironically, you ever do when I've done something you don't approve of."

"You want my attention, Evelyn?!" her mother snapped. "Well congratulation, _you've got it_! Now _come home_."

"No."

"…Just what exactly are you hoping to achieve with this little stunt?"

"Nothing," Evelyn shrugged her shoulders even though her mother couldn't see her, and she glanced at the uncomfortable bot next to her who was shifting in his seat and obviously trying his hardest not to seem like he was paying too much attention to the argument brewing. "I'm rebelling, mother. Look it up in one of your parenting books," she rolled her eyes and Stiles snorted out a laugh, trying – and failing - to disguise it as a cough.

"If you don't turn around and come home right now, Evelyn, then don't bother coming back at all."

"Are you _serious_? Mom, I'm 20 years old, you can't just give me an ultimatum like that, it isn't fair! I love him," she whispered. "I love him, Mom, and I just need to know that he's okay. You can't ask me to choose between that and my family."

"Exactly – you're 20 years old. Too old to be rebelling, as you call it. And what do you mean, you need to know he's okay? Do you even know where he is, Evelyn? How much can you really love him if you've kept him a secret from everyone?"

"I didn't purposely keep him a secret, mother Josh knew about him, all my friends knew about him. Maybe other parents would have noticed a guy climbing in through the window of their teenage daughters bedroom every night – I didn't tell you and Dad because I didn't think you'd be interested," she admitted, only to be met with silence. "…What would you have done, Mom? Invited him round for dinner?"

"Well clearly there's something you're hiding from us if you kept him hidden away for so long, so yes, I'd like to meet him so I know exactly what my daughter has gotten herself involved in. Who exactly is this boy?"

"Someone who was there for me when my family weren't."

"What's his name?"

"Why, so you can try and track me down?!" she snapped. "Jesus Christ, mother. It doesn't matter what his name is, how old he is or how I met him. All that matters is that I love him, that I know he loves me and that I'm _worried _about him. I'm not going to abandon him just because you've decided to be a parent for once in your life! What about all those times I was miserable, huh? Like when you and Dad forgot my eighteenth birthday? Do you know who I celebrated with? Derek and his sister. They took me out and they made me feel like part of their family, which is more than _you've _ever done. You didn't care enough to question why I was turning up with cuts and bruises because your precious fucking son couldn't keep his damn hands to himself, do you know who stood up for me then? Derek and his sister. For _three years_, mother, it's been Derek and his sister who've been my family. Not you, not Dad and certainly not Josh."

"…Well," her mother coughed, and Evelyn could picture her stood in their kitchen, her lips pursed angrily as her only daughter dared to go against her demands. "You heard what I said. Come home now, or not at all," she challenged, and Evelyn paused before letting out a sigh.

"Fine," she grumbled.

"Excellent! Go back to the airport and let your father know when you've landed in New York, he'll come and-"

"No," Evelyn muttered, interrupting her mother. "I mean fine, I won't come home at all."

"W-what?! Evelyn, darling-"

"Bye, Mom," she whispered, quickly ending the call and shutting her phone off before she pushed it back into her pockets. She turned her head to stare out of the window and sniffed, blinking furiously to try and keep her tears at bay.

"Uh," Stiles coughed nervously. "Are you alright?"

"He's not here, is he?" she asked quietly, her voice hoarse. "Derek isn't in Beacon Hills anymore."

"I-" Stiles looked over at her. "How did you- why would you think that?"

"Because he would have found me by now," Evelyn replied softly. "I guess I knew he wasn't here the second I got off the plane."

"…So why did you tell your Mom you wouldn't go back home?"

"What's the point?" she shrugged her shoulders. "I have nothing there, just her and my dad and an alcoholic older brother. Laura and Derek were all I had in New York, now Laura's dead and Derek's MIA. I guess I can- I mean, I can stay here for little while, right? Just in case he comes back, in case he- well, how long has he been gone for?"

"Uh," Stiles sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Not long. Maybe three months."

"He didn't say where he was going or anything?"

"No," he shook his head. "He and Cora just packed up and left."

"Cora?" Evelyn turned her head quickly to look at him. "Who the hell is _Cora_? …Of course there's a girl, of course he met someone. God. It was really dumb of me to think he meant a damn word of what he-"

"Woah, hey, calm down!" Stiles interrupted her. "Cora's his sister. I- look, this is Scott's place," he pointed to the house they'd pulled up to and Evelyn nodded slowly. "He can explain a little better than I can, I guess. I- uh, wait, you're not going to like… Did Derek tell you about the uhm, hunters? He did, right?"

"I'm aware Scott is in a relationship with the girl who shot Derek, yes," Evelyn grumbled. "Don't worry," she kicked open the door of the jeep. "I won't try and claw her eyes out or anything. I take my hat off to the girl, being in a relationship with a werewolf is difficult at the best of times, never mind when your family is intent on murdering them."

"Ha, yeah…" Stiles trailed off awkwardly and gestured for him to follow her to the house. "Scott?" he called gingerly as he pushed the front door open. "Yo, Scott, it's me!"

"Who's she?"

"Dude!" Stiles let out a breath as he turned round, coming face to face with a tall boy. Evelyn eyed him cautiously. He was attractive, his light hair curling at the front and his blue eyes narrowed at her in suspicion. "Don't sneak up on people. Jesus. I'm going to get you a flea collar with a little bell on so I have a bit of warning when you're about to scare the crap out of me! This is Evelyn," Stiles waved a hand towards her. "Evelyn, this is Isaac. He's a baby wolf."

"Uh…" Evelyn paused, coughing to hide her laugh as Isaac's jaw clenched. "Nice to meet you, pup," she waved, and he narrowed his eyes at her as he leaned in closer and took a breath.

"She's human Isaac."

"I'm sorry, did you just _sniff _me?" Evelyn curled her lip in disapproval, taking a step closer to Stiles. "Wow, you definitely know Derek."

"Derek?" Isaac's head snapped up, his mouth open to say something else as Stiles waved his arms in the air. "She's- you're-"

"Yes we've been through that!" Stiles nodded his head urgently his eyes wide. "She hasn't spoken to him since Peter died."

"I- oh. _Oh_," Isaac nodded in understanding. "Scott's upstairs. I can go get him or-"

"No need. I'm here."

"Scott," Stiles let out a sigh of relief, his eyes shifting over to his best friend. "This is Evelyn, she's- a friend of Derek's, she was- Scott, man, she's human I swear, Isaac already sniffed her out," he rolled his eyes as Scott pulled back from Evelyn.

"You smell like Stiles," he told her.

"I'm wearing his hoodie," she gestured to the oversized jacket and crossed her arms over her chest self-consciously.

"I got her all…" Stiles gestured towards her. "..wet," he finished lamely, and Isaac snorted out a laugh. "Dude. No."

"As much fun as I'm having, being surrounded by three guys I don't know a whole load of fun and not in the slightest way dangerous at all considering two of them have the ability to shift into bloodthirsty animals at any opportunity, I'd really like to know how I can find Derek so I can get out of here?"

"Nice," Isaac nodded his head. "She's real polite, Stiles. Anymore waifs and strays you wanna bring into Scott's home?"

"No, I think you're the only stray Melissa is willing to take in," Stiles shot back at him and Isaac barked out a laugh. Evelyn ignored them, keeping her attention on Scott.

"…We don't know," he admitted with a frown.

"Okay," Evelyn nodded her head and took her hands out of the pockets of her hoody, pushing past Scott and walking into the living room, leaving the three looking after her in shock as she took a seat on the sofa. "Then you need to get in here and explain to me what the hell happened to my boyfriend."

xxx

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked quietly. "Do you need anything? A drink, or-"

"I don't understand," Evelyn whispered, shaking her head before letting it fall into her hands. "Why would he-" she gulped, looking up and meeting Isaac's eyes. "I can't believe he did this to you, I'm so sorry."

"He gave me a choice," Isaac shrugged his shoulders. "My life's a little more complicated now, a lot more dangerous, but I'm stronger. I can protect myself and the people I care about in a way I wasn't able to before."

"Your friends died," she pursed her lips. "Your friends died, and they'd still be alive if Derek hadn't- god_dammit_!" she hissed, running a hand through her hair. "I can't believe he just- I mean- why wouldn't he tell me he was an alpha? Why wouldn't he get in touch when Peter came back, why wouldn't he come back to New York after he left here?"

"He probably needed some time to get his head together…" Scott started carefully, glancing at his two friends. "He had his little sister with him, they both nearly died and he's not an alpha anymore. Maybe he thought that by going back, he'd be bringing trouble right to your door?"

"And this… thing, this woman… She's dead?" Evelyn asked. "Like if I hang around I'm not going to find myself kidnapped and offered up for sacrifice so some walking-dead with can carry out her revenge plot?"

"Uh, actually…" Stiles coughed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, his mouth twitching. "We never really found her body…"

"…Never really found it, or never found it at all?" Evelyn narrowed her eyes at him and he shrugged his shoulder quickly. "Never found her at all, then. Great. _Great_. So she could just be- wait," she stopped, sitting up straight and looking at Scott. "Do you even know if she's dead? What if she survived and got away, what if she's got Derek or- what if she's killed him? What if she wants you to think he's gone willingly and she got him and Cora?"

"No, no," Scott shook his head. "She wouldn't… She wouldn't kill Derek. I don't think she'd hurt him at all."

"Really?! Because from what you said before, she was willing to let Cora die! Wouldn't that effectively hurt Derek?!" she snapped. "I-I'm sorry, I just- I need to know he's okay."

"Why?" Isaac frowned, and Evelyn looked up at him in confusion. "Why are you so concerned for him and his safety when he hasn't shown the same concern for you? He left you in New York even though he knew that if people wanted to hurt him and if people looked hard enough, they'd find a link to you. He left you there with no protection and he started a pack here."

"Isaac, that's-" Stiles shook his head. "Don't. He couldn't have asked her to come here, we had Peter to deal with, then Matt and Jackson, the Alpha pack… She would have been in more danger here than she was back home. Hey, maybe that's why he didn't call you!" he suggested helpfully, nudging her shoulder with his.

"That and he was too busy screwing Jennifer anyway," Isaac snorted, his eyes widening as he realised what he'd said. "I mean-"

"I- it's okay," Evelyn whispered. "I'm not surprised, really. He's- well. I should probably go, I- does anyone know a decent but not too expensive motel I can stay in? I guess I should probably think about maybe going back home or something too."

"You can stay with Stiles," Isaac gestured towards him.

"_Dude_," Stiles shook his head. "Stop. I'm begging you to stop," he glared over at him and Isaac grinned, shooting him a wink. "Scott can you please control your pet? Evelyn… I can take you to a motel, if you want?" he asked, making Isaac snicker to himself. "Isaac I swear to God!" he groaned, his cheeks turning pink as he looked desperately towards Scott.

"Isaac will take you," Scott looked over at him, digging his hands into the pocket of his jeans and throwing him a set of car keys. "Make sure it's-"

"Safe, got it," Isaac nodded, twirling the keys on his finger and gesturing for Evelyn to follow him outside.

"Evelyn?" Scott called, making her turn around. "I've been trying to find him for a while. I promise if I find anything that could help, I'll let you know. Maybe you should stick around for a couple of weeks."

"Thanks, Scott," she smiled weakly at him. "I'll think about it," she added, before turning her back to them and following Isaac outside.

* * *

feedback is appreciated :)  
links to my tumblr/evie's faceclaim can be found in my profile!


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